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December 16, 2025

New Initiatives Launched to Support Community This Surge Season

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Halton Healthcare launches new tools and resources to improve the patient experience 

December 16, 2025 (Halton Region, ON) –  Hospitals across the province are now in “surge season” - the time of year when we see a significant increase in the number of patients requiring hospital care, due in large part to cold and flu season. At Halton Healthcare, admissions increase by about 7 per cent, which adds up to about an extra 90 admissions from November to March. Paediatric admissions increase by 6 per cent. 

“The growing demands of our community, especially this time of year, require us to think differently about how we make decisions, come together across all our sites and deliver patient-centred care,” said Cheryl Williams, EVP Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Executive. “This year, we have put a strong focus on where we can make meaningful improvements with new initiatives that strengthen access, enhance the patient experience, and connect our teams.” 

One of the initiatives launched is the new Command Centre, a centralized control centre that brings together key people across the organization to review real time data, identify barriers, and ensure patients are moving smoothly through the system while accessing the right supports and the right care - at the right time. 

“By making patient flow a priority, we can positively influence a patient’s entire journey—from arrival in the Emergency Department to admission, treatment, and discharge,” said Dr. Ian Preyra, Vice President, Medical Affairs and Academics. “While there is still much work ahead and the winter months will inevitably bring new challenges, the early progress we’re seeing is encouraging.” 

Emergency Department (ED) wait times have decreased by almost an hour compared to the same time last year (4.8 hours in November 2024 to see a clinician compared to 3.9 hours in 2025), marking Halton Healthcare’s best metric for ED wait times since 2021. Additionally, the number of patients in our Emergency Rooms waiting for a bed has also decreased by almost half (29 daily average for November 2024 to 15 the same time this year).  

Additional initiatives underway to promote preventative care, empower patients and support timely, seamless, and compassionate care include: 

  • Improved Emergency Department Flow: The development of an integrated Emergency Department Working Group to respond quickly to challenges, complaints and concerns, enhance coordination among care teams, and ultimately improve patient experiences and outcomes. 

  • Enhanced Online Wait Time Information: New webpage showing real time wait times at all three emergency departments, how many patients are waiting to be seen and how many patients in total are in the ED.

  • Halton@Home Expansion: Providing short-term, in-home support to patients who require extra assistance transiting out of hospital to prevent readmissions. The program delivers nursing, rehabilitation, personal support, and care navigation for 8–16 weeks, tailored to each patient’s needs. 

  • Community Care Options: Community handouts and ongoing social media posts sharing important information on the many ways to access care when needed, including booking a virtual appointment, seeing a pharmacist for minor illnesses, calling 811, or finding a family doctor and more. 

  • Preventative Care with Flu and RSV Immunizations: Halton Healthcare RSV clinic for infants from November 10 through February 1, building on last year’s success of over 500 immunizations. More information available here.  Flu shot promotion for our community members, and on-site clinics for Halton Healthcare staff to keep our community and patients safe. 

These initiatives reflect Halton Healthcare’s ongoing commitment to providing safe, timely, and patient-centred care across all our sites and throughout the community. As surge season continues, the organization will build on this early progress—expanding supports, strengthening partnerships, and refining system improvements—to ensure patients and families receive the care they need with confidence and compassion. 

View B-roll.